قدindeed صحَّproved true عنديto me خبرa report
قد صحَّ عندي خبر
وجلّand was momentous عنديto me منas خبرْa report
وجلّ عندي من خبرْ
A report has indeed proved true to me,
News has been confirmed to me,
And what a momentous report it is to me!
And news that filled me with awe.
ليسthere is no لناfor us إعادةrestoration
ليس لنا إعادة
فيماin what انقضىhas passed وماand what غبرremains
فيما انقضى وما غبر
There is no restoration for us
There is no going back
In what has passed and what remains
To what is gone and covered in dust-
منof صورforms معلومةٍknown
من صور معلومةٍ
محسوسةٍperceptible منamong البشرhumankind
محسوسةٍ من البشر
Of known forms,
Known images,
Perceptible among humankind,
Tangible humans.
لأنهاbecause they علىupon مزاconstitution (first part)
لأنها على مزا
جconstitution (last part) كلهall of it مزاجُa constitution شرevil
ج كله مزاجُ شر
For they rest upon a constitution
Because their nature altogether
That is wholly a constitution of evil.
Is an evil disposition.
وإنماand only إعادتيmy restoration
وإنما إعادتي
فيin مثلهاtheir like منof الصورthe forms
في مثلها من الصور
My restoration is only
Rather, my going back
In forms resembling them,
Is to their like in images
علىwith مزاجٍa constitution صالحwholesome
على مزاجٍ صالح
ماnot فيهin it شيءanything منof ضررharm
ما فيه شيء من ضرر
With a wholesome constitution,
Of good disposition-
Containing nothing harmful,
Nothing harmful therein.
منof صورforms مشهودةٍbeheld
من صور مشهودةٍ
فيهنin them نحيىwe live ونسرand are gladdened
فيهن نحيى ونسر
Of forms beheld,
Images witnessed
In which we live and are gladdened,
In which we live and feel joy-
فيupon فرشٍbeds مرفوعةraised
في فرشٍ مرفوعة
منضودةlayered وفيand upon سُررcouches
منضودة وفي سُرر
Upon raised beds,
On elevated furnishings,
Layered, and upon couches,
Well-arranged and on beds.
ملكاًas a king إماماًan imam سيّداًa master
ملكاً إماماً سيّداً
مدبراًgoverning لمنto whoever نظرbeholds
مدبراً لمن نظر
As a king, an imam, a master,
A sovereign, imam, master,
Governing, in the eyes of any beholder.
Manager for whoever looked.
وهيand they are الذواتُthe essences عينُهاthe very same
وهي الذواتُ عينُها
المودعاتُthose deposited فيin الحفرthe graves
المودعاتُ في الحفر
And they are the very same essences
They themselves are the beings,
Laid within the graves.
Laid to rest in graves.
لمnot تلحقtouch الذاتthe essence إذاwhen
لم تلحق الذات إذا
نظرتyou examine فيهاwithin it منany of غيرchanges
نظرت فيها من غير
The essence is untouched—when
The being itself, when
You examine it—by any change.
Viewed, suffers no harm.
وإنماbut only مزاجهاits constitution
وإنما مزاجها
منwhoever يعتبرهconsiders it لمnot يحرْbe bewildered
من يعتبره لم يحرْ
Only its constitution is altered;
Rather, its disposition-
Whoever considers it is not bewildered.
Let one who ponders not doubt.
للهfor God فيin هذاthis الذيwhich
لله في هذا الذي
أقولهI say it معنىa meaning وسرand a secret
أقوله معنى وسر
God has, in this which
To God in this I say
I say, a meaning and a secret.
There is meaning and mystery
يفرقis afraid منهof it ذوpossessed of حجىreason
يفرق منه ذو حجى
إذاwhen بهthrough it الحقthe Real ظهرappears
إذا به الحق ظهر
One endowed with reason is afraid of it
Which the learned can distinguish
When the Real appears through it.
When truth becomes clear.
فالحمدso praise للهto God الذيwho
فالحمد لله الذي
أشهدنيmade me witness هذاthis الخبرthe report
أشهدني هذا الخبر
So praise be to God, who
So praise be to God who
Made me witness this report
Let me witness this news-
فيin نومناour sleep وعندناand with us
في نومنا وعندنا
محمداًMuhammad سفنديرSafandir
محمداً سفندير
In our sleep; with us were
In our sleep, and with us,
Muhammad Safandir,
Muhammad Sufyandeer,
وامرأةٌand a woman مؤمنةٌbelieving
وامرأةٌ مؤمنةٌ
الوجهُthe face منهاof hers كالقمرlike the moon
الوجهُ منها كالقمر
And a believing woman,
And a believing woman
Whose face was like the moon.
Her face like the moon.
ياoh حسنَهاher beauty منas غادةٍa graceful maiden
يا حسنَها من غادةٍ
فتانةٍbewitching لمنto whoever نظرbeholds
فتانةٍ لمن نظر
Oh, how lovely she is, a graceful maiden,
O her beauty, a flirtatious one
Bewitching to whoever beholds!
Tempting whoever looked.
فديتُهاI would ransom her معشوقةًbeloved
فديتُها معشوقةً
بالسمعwith hearing منيof mine والبصرand sight
بالسمع مني والبصر
I would ransom her, my beloved,
I ransom her, my beloved,
With my own hearing and sight.
With my hearing and sight.
فيin صورةِthe form الحقِّthe Real أتتْshe came
في صورةِ الحقِّ أتتْ
معَwith الدلالِcoy allure والخفرand modesty
معَ الدلالِ والخفر
In the form of the Real she came,
In the image of Truth she came
With coy allure and modesty.
With the guide and guards.
يستصرخcries for help الشخصthe person الذيwho
يستصرخ الشخص الذي
أرادwanted أنْto يعطىbe granted الوطرthe desired end
أراد أنْ يعطى الوطر
The person cries for help, who
The person who wanted
Wanted to be granted his desire
To be given access
منهاfrom her فلمbut no يحفلheed was paid بهto him
منها فلم يحفل به
ولاnor علىof النَّيلattainment قدرwas capable
ولا على النَّيل قدر
From her; yet no heed was paid to him,
Called out to her but she paid him no mind
Nor could he attain his desire.
And esteemed him not at all.
ماwhat يفعلdoes المسكينthe poor man إذwhen
ما يفعل المسكين إذ
لمdid not ينجهsave him منهاfrom her الحذَرcaution
لم ينجه منها الحذَر
What can the poor man do, when
What can the poor soul do, since
Caution did not save him from her?
Caution did not save him from her?
قالتْshe said لهto him انزلdescend إلىto
قالتْ له انزل إلى
منthe One who قدalready نهاناforbade us وأمرand commanded
من قد نهانا وأمر
She said to him, 'Descend to
She said to him: "Go down
The One who has forbidden us and commanded.'
To the one who forbade and ordered us.
إلىto هناhere كانwas الذيthat which
إلى هنا كان الذي
أريتهI was shown it حتىuntil السحرthe pre-dawn hour
أريته حتى السحر
This was the extent of what
Up to here was what
I was shown, until the pre-dawn hour.
I showed you until dawn."